A war brewing…

CAMILA

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I woke up with the lingering feeling of warmth still pressed against my skin.

For a moment, I didn’t know where I was, but then last night came crashing back into my mind.

The painting.

The apology.

The kiss.

Oh my freak!

He kissed me!

My lips tingled at the memory, and I pulled the covers tighter around myself, burying my face into the soft pillow to hide my growing blush — even though there was no one to see it.

At some point last night, I must have fallen asleep in the studio, and King… he had brought me here without waking me up.

Something about that made my heart ache in a way I didn’t want to acknowledge. I turned to look at the small clock on the bedside table. 10:38AM.

“Shit.”

I jumped out of bed, scrambling to freshen up and throw on a simple cream top and jeans. I tied my hair into a loose braid and practically sprinted toward the dining area, praying I wasn’t about to get my first official scolding for being late.

As I neared the dining room, the smell of buttery croissants, sizzling bacon, and fresh coffee filled the air, making my stomach grumble painfully.

When I turned the corner, I saw them — already gathered around the table.

Claire noticed me first, waving her hand excitedly.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” she beamed, flashing that endless sunshine smile. “You’re just in time! There’s still plenty left for you.”

I smiled back sheepishly. “Sorry… I guess I overslept.”

Claire only laughed and moved to serve me some of the delicacies. “No worries! We saved the best for you.”

I noticed the seating arrangement immediately.

Katherine — of course — had strategically planted herself close to King, her chair a little too close, her laugh a little too loud whenever he barely spoke a word. She was leaning in, brushing her hair behind her ear in slow, exaggerated motions. It was impossible to miss.

Yeah. Subtlety wasn’t Katherine’s strong suit.

Not wanting to throw myself into that mess, I quietly made my way to the seat next to Leonard instead.

He grinned at me like I was a long-lost friend.

“Kate!” he said — still refusing to call me by my real name. “I was beginning to think King locked you up in the tower like some forbidden princess.”

I chuckled, trying to pretend my heart wasn’t hammering at the mention of King. Since I came I had barely looked in his direction, I felt too shy to do so.

“I needed extra beauty sleep,” I said lightly, sitting down.

Leonard winked dramatically. “Well, it worked.”

Across the table, I caught King’s eyes for the briefest moment. A glance.

Just a flicker.

But in that heartbeat of connection, I swore the world slowed down. No smile. No nod. Just… a look.

As if he was making sure I was here, whole, untouched by nightmares. And when he saw that I was, he looked away again, back to his coffee cup, back to his silence.

Katherine noticed too.

Her smile tightened into something sharp and almost annoying.

For the rest of breakfast, Claire chatted happily about meaningless things — new flowers blooming in the garden, the painter scheduled to come fix the guest room wall, the cookies she baked last night.

I ate slowly, pretending not to feel Katherine’s eyes burning holes through the side of my head. Pretending not to hear the shift in the air around the table. Something had changed.

Something big.

And I wasn’t the only one who felt it.

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After breakfast, I retreated to the side terrace with a glass of iced tea, trying to soak in the sun and not overthink everything.

I should’ve known better.

Katherine found me twenty minutes later, and the way she matched to me, it was obvious that the conversation wouldn’t go well.

“Camila,” she said sweetly, too sweetly for my liking.

I set my glass down, instantly wary. “Hey.”

She leaned against the balcony railing, pretending to admire the view. “So,” she said, twirling a strand of her purple-streaked hair, “how was your… night?”

I tensed.

“Fine,” I said shortly.

She hummed, clearly not satisfied. “You know,” she continued, lowering her voice, “I was wondering if you ever managed to, say, find your way into the forbidden room?”

I frowned. “No.” I didn’t miss the quick flash of disappointment in her eyes. “I decided…” I said carefully, “that I don’t need to force anything. King will tell me the truth when he’s ready.”

For a second— just a second, the real Katherine showed through. The venom in her eyes was almost breathtaking.

“You naive little thing,” she snapped, straightening up. “You really think King will ever tell you the truth?”

I kept my face neutral, even though my heart was racing. “I’m not rushing anything,” I said calmly. “I’m here for the contract, not the drama.”

Katherine laughed as she stepped closer, eyes narrowing toward me. “You think you’re special, don’t you?”

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t have to.

“Did he do something to you?” She pried and I choose to ignore still, focusing on the landscape before me.

“Did he tell you he loved you and that you’re special?”

Still yet, I didn’t reply. But instead, I stared at her because I knew I couldn’t bear to say it with my mouth. She’d see it in my gaze anyway.

And she did.

She saw the truth on my face, she saw it in the way I didn’t deny it. Something had happened. Something real.

And she knew it.

Her fists clenched at her sides. “You’ll regret getting close to him,” she hissed under her breath. “Mark my words, Camila. You’ll regret it more than anything in your life.”

I stared back at her.

And for the first time since entering this house, I didn’t feel small under her anger. I felt steady. Because deep down, no matter how much it terrified me, I knew King and I had crossed a line that couldn’t be erased.

And I wasn’t going to let Katherine’s bitterness define my story here.

Not anymore.

She turned on her heel and stormed away and I exhaled slowly as she left.

I had just started something I probably wouldn’t be able to handle…

But I was ready to face it.